Double Standards from Dom Post?

Nine of the 26 seats in Tonga’s parliament are still reserved for the nobility. There should not be any

Now why is it bad for Tonga to have 9 seats reserved for the nobility, when in NZ we have race based seats. Where is the Dom Post sounding off about the deplorable fact that we have race based seats in Parliament and increasingly in local government. Why is it bad for one segment of Tongan society to have preference, but not in NZ?

Somehow we in NZ seem happy to tell our Pacific neighbours what is and is not acceptable, whilst increasingly giving preference to one segment of our multi-ethnic society in NZ itself.

1. Because, even if one supports the Maori seats, they’re drawn the same way and have the same number of residents as the other seats, so don’t violate the “all votes of equal value” principle. Perhaps the DomPost wouldn’t object if the number of seats reserved for the nobility was proportionate to the number of nobles who wished to be represented through noble seats?

2. Because, even if one accepts your logic, there will only be a double standard if you can also establish that the DomPost favours retaining the Maori seats as well. Which you haven’t.

Whilst I think you have a valid construct, I consider that mine has validity as well.

I see little evidence of the MSM challenging the need for preferential racially based representation in NZ. Given that other ethnic groups could well have a higher proportion of the population in future the ‘Maori’ preference becomes ever harder to justify, especially given the high rate of inter-marriage.

I have relatives where due to one having a ‘Maori’ partner their children will have race based preference over their siblings who did not partner with maori. Quite simply that is wrong, divisive and to my mind unacceptable.